


made to breathe underwater

by asexuelf



Category: Sally Face (Video Games)
Genre: Canon Gay Character(s), Friendship, Gen, Gender Identity, Motorcycles, Neopronouns, Queer Themes, Trans, Trans Ashley Campbell, Trans Larry Johnson, Travis Joins The Sally Face Gang, ash: i know im op but mood, dawn is mentioned so brief ze/hir pronouns, travis' demonic pinkeye is mentioned too ajdjsjf, travis: my gender is gay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-12
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 16:28:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22220056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asexuelf/pseuds/asexuelf
Summary: When Todd sends Travis and Ash out to recover something about the cult, it gives them some time to talk.
Relationships: Ashley Campbell & Travis Phelps, Sal Fisher/Travis Phelps
Comments: 12
Kudos: 27





	made to breathe underwater

**Author's Note:**

> i saw some weird ash hate saying she'd be a terf and it messed me up so bad that my dyke ass had to write this fic about it akdhskf ashley campbell loves and respects ALL women (and all people tbh) and i will not accept anything else!! she's my baby and she'd never join a hate group!!! 
> 
> so here's some ash and travis bonding 💖 takes place around ep 4 time, after high school, so they're around 20-22.
> 
> the word 'fag' is used in this fic as a self-identifier, but here's a warning in case you need one !! muah
> 
> i hope you enjoy!!

It's a beautiful evening, for what it's worth.

The sun is low in the sky, the air growing comfortably brisk as the clouds grow darker and more orange with approaching nightfall. The reflection of daylight against the overcast sky seems to paint the world pink, like strawberry lemonade. The glow only serves to make the motorcycle ride feel even more otherworldly as Travis holds onto Ashley's middle.

The trees rush by in a grey-and-green blur. The dark road beneath them stretches on endlessly. For a strange, paralyzing moment, Travis feels weightless.

He understands now why Ashley likes this death machine so much. With the bike rumbling beneath them and the world stretching out before them, it's… freeing.

Ash slows the motorcycle to a crawl, then a stop. 

"Have we made it?" Travis asks. 

He covers the left side of his face and looks around with his infected eye, but he sees nothing outside of the ordinary. Nothing around indicates the presence of anything involving his father's cult. There's not even a ghost or wandering spirit around, which is rare. It's just trees and trees and trees and the long expanse of road that reaches out to touch the horizon.

As she stands from the bike, Ash sighs. "No," she admits. "It's just getting late and if I don't take it now, I'll forget." 

She starts rustling around in the pockets of her leather vest, of her dark jeans, patting around in search of something.

"Forget what?" he asks.

But the answer comes only a breath later, as Ashley fishes out her prize: a tiny blue medicine box. She pops open the box and easily swallows down one of the little pinkish-red pills inside. Distantly, he wonders if it's usually that pink without the evening's orange-y hue touching it.

"Just my lady pills," she says. Then, she smacks her mouth. "Wish I had water though."

"I've never seen estrogen pills before," Travis admits. He uses the time to stretch his arms above his head, wincing as his back pops, and tries not to take it personally that he's never seen her take them before. "Larry's had me help him with his 'boy juice' once or thrice, though. Man, I hate that he calls it that."

"Why? Is it because gendering hormones makes you uncomfortable? I know Dawn feels a little iffy about hir T being called that."

"Nah. Everybody has their own relationship with their body and their mods. I don't give a damn about that. Personal expression or whatever, right?" 

"I hear you."

"Cool." He scrunches his nose up in distaste then, feeling his own recent mod - a recently acquired septum piercing - pull a little. Sometimes,  _ personal expression _ isn't cheap, in terms of money  _ or _ comfort. "But really, 'boy juice' just sounds so fucking nasty."

Snorting, Ash nods. "Yeah, it's a little less refined than  _ lady pills _ ." Her laughter grows louder, more playful. "Sometimes I just call it 'E', cuz it sounds cool, but then I get worried someone will think it's a party drug or something."

That makes Travis laugh too; the thought of someone hearing Ash and trying to buy it off her for a quick high is more amusing than it should be. He's always had a mean sense of humor, though. Something about the awkward disappointment that situation would end in is way too satisfying to him.

"Anyways," Travis looks over at Ash, watching her face as she pops her back too. "If you have to potty, go now. It'll be a while still before we reach Todd's mission point."

Travis echoes her. "Mission point." The words have him shaking his head in disbelief. His life is so fucking unreal.

A smile finds its way on Ash's face again, easy and bright. "I know. When did things get this weird?"

"To be fair, my life's always been weird." He taps the side of his face, feeling his demonic eye twitch at the attention. "Raised in a freaky world-killer cult, remember?"

"Geez, yeah. How the hell are you, anyway?"

Travis cackles. The sound echoes around them, playing off the trees. "Going through the fucking motions! It makes me glad to be helping you guys now though. And, y'know… Sal treats me well."

"I've noticed…" Her green eyes crinkle in the corners, sparkling with something like pride. "You two are really happy together. It gives me hope."

Surprised, Travis looks down. "Hope. Yeah, me too." His eyes follow the edge of the dark skirt he's wearing. "I'd never be able to do any of this without Sal.  _ Be _ any of this. I mean, fuck- I just pierced my nose! And I'm wearing a fucking midi!"

"I noticed! You look really great."

"Thank you, Ashley. You look radiant tonight as well."

She snorts another tiny laugh behind her hand, nearly stumbling as she throws her leg back over her bike. "The belles of the ball for sure." 

"The demon ball." He sighs and wraps his arms around her back. "I don't have to potty. Let's get this over with, eh?"

"Um, actually-" She bites her lip. "Speaking of belles…"

"Yeah?"

"Well, I just want to be sure, because you're my friend, and I  _ do _ feel responsible for you." Travis rolls his eyes, hiding the bright flash of joy that burns in him, and she continues, "I've noticed you wearing more things - like your skirt. Make-up and stuff, too. I don't want to stress you out or push you, but, y'know, we love you, and we want you to be your happiest self. If that self is a girl, we'll still be here. I'll be here. For you."

Travis can't find the strength to roll his eyes at that. They prickle with emotion and he swallows thickly. "Goddamn, I love you guys."

"Love you, too, Trav."

He smiles, probably looking goofy as hell. It makes his nose hurt again, but he can't help it. "I'm, uh- I'm just Travis, I think. Maybe I wouldn't call myself a  _ man _ , per se, but I think that's because I just don't really do gender. Like, I'm a man, but I don't like the weight the word itself carries. I guess if I had to pick, I'd say my gender was fag. Is that offensive?"

Ash chuckles. "Not to me. Doesn't fag have weight too though?"

"Yeah, but…" He struggles for a way to describe it. "Fag is a weight I chose to carry, in a way. I picked it up and I made it me because I was tired of being dragged around by the whip end. I didn't choose to be a man."

A low whistle sounds, then Ash turns back to him with a wry half-smile. "I really am proud of you. That's deep as hell." She turns around again, but he can see the evidence of her smile in her jawline. "No wonder you and Larry get along so well."

He doesn't know what that means, but he glares at her just in case as he re-secures his hold on her. "Whatever, Campbell. I'm proud of you too. Now drive so I can get Todd's weirdo artifact and go home to my boyfriend."

"You got it, chief."

And then they're off again, speeding down the endless road towards a destiny they had no other option but to choose. This mission, this curse, this  _ world _ \- it's all like being tossed into the sea. You either learn to swim or you sink.

Travis looks at the trees, just streaks of color passing by, and thinks he did neither. He doesn't swim, he doesn't sink. It took two decades, but he's finally found purchase on the ocean floor, breathing water in like it's oxygen with his heels dug into the sand. He knows where he is. And he knows he isn't alone.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! 💖 
> 
> i'll have more salvis content out soon - but if you have any requests, feel free to let me know!!


End file.
